


It's Nice to Have a Freind

by demonbarber14



Category: Joker (2019)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26723371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonbarber14/pseuds/demonbarber14
Summary: Arthur and Sophie start to hit it off once he's a minor celebrity.
Relationships: Sophie Dumond/Arthur Fleck
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	It's Nice to Have a Freind

**Author's Note:**

> Haven’t written a fic in a while and am glad to be back! This story takes place entirely in Arthur’s head after his first (imagined) Murray Franklin appearance. Also, this story contains a racial slur, however it is not used maliciously towards a particular character.

He’d always thought they were just expressions: butterflies in stomachs, shortness of breath, hearts pounding and/or flipping over, if not beating out of chests entirely. But somehow they all made sense whenever he saw  _ her _ . It didn’t seem possible that someone so beautiful could live in his building, that she could go to work and be treated like a normal person, that she didn’t belong only on movie screens or magazines. But there she was, waiting in front of the elevator. 

He stood beside her, as close as he dared.

“Hi” she glanced at him in a completely perfunctory way before turning back toward the elevator. Then, something made her glance again. “Oh, hey, weren’t you on Murray Franklin last night?” 

“Yeah, yeah, that was me.” He smiled. He had been recognized a lot that day, but it meant something even more that  _ she _ recognized him.

“You were so great, I couldn’t believe it! I thought I recognized you” she babbled, tripping over her sentences. “I really liked what you had to say!”

“Really? I was worried it was too corny.”

“No, not at all. You were so genuine. And, you know, I’m a mom, so I appreciated it even more, probably.”

“Well, good. You, um, it’s nice of you to say.” He felt himself start to laugh, but managed to quell it with a deep breath. “And listen, if you like Murray Franklin, I could probably introduce you. He offered me a regular spot on the show, and he gave me his personal number.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, he’s really nice. We talked after the show, and he was really interested in me.”

“That would be fantastic! Yeah, Gigi and I love his show!” She jerked her head toward the elevator. “You ready to give up?”

“Yeah, I think so. Shall we?” he gestured to the door with an over-the-top hand motion. She smiled and walked toward the stairwell, with him close behind. 

“What floor are you on?”

“Fourth, same as you.”  _ Damnit _ . He’d thought he was doing so well, then just  _ had _ to give away the fact that he knew what floor she lived on. 

“Oh, really? I should have known that” she tossed a smile over the shoulder. “How long have you lived here?”

“All my life. Or at least as long as I can remember.”

“Really, do you...like it here?” she asked cautiously.

“Well, I know it’s a shithole, and I know my mom would love to move, but it’s home, still.”

“I get that. Hey, maybe if you're a regular on Murray Franklin, you can do a massive renovation.”

“Oh, wouldn’t that be great? I’d start with the elevator, then the rats, then the water, then the heat, than the...ah, who am I kidding? I’d move in a second if I could.”

She laughed, “Oh me too.”

“Doesn’t the bank pay you enough?”

“They would, if I didn’t have a kid, or student loans, or if my parents helped me out at all. But as it is, we’re scraping by,”

“I’m sorry. But at least you and Gigi have each other. That’s gotta make things easier.”

She smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, she makes it okay. I just hope she understands that I’m doing my best.”

“I’m sure she does. She has to. I mean, when I was a kid, I had no idea what sacrifices my mom made for, but as I grew up, I realized how much she did...does for me.”

“Yeah, I hope Gigi and I have that one day.”

“I’m sure she will. She seems like a good kid.”

“She can be.” Sophie paused at the door. “Well, this is me. I’ll see you around. Here or on Murray Franklin, right?”

“Yeah, big TV star, that’s me.” 

She smiled and went inside. In the split second the door was open, he could see inside. It had the same layout as his, same darkness, but all he wanted to see were the differences, the comfortable old couch, Gigi’s art on the walls, a few framed photographs on the mantle. 

It wasn’t long before he saw her again. He’d had an exhausting day, reviewing a new routine with Murray, and came back to his apartment ready to throw himself on the couch. When he reached the door, he heard the television, and wondered for a moment why his mother would have started a program without him. He opened the door and heard a loud squeal.

“Mo--oh” he stood in the doorway looking at perturbed Gigi, who was sitting on the couch, glaring at him. “I thought you were mom” she turned back to the television set and left him staring at her.

“Arthur, honey?”

“Yes, Mom!”

“Hi, sweetie.” Penny gave him a peck on the cheek. “Sophie, you know, that nice girl a few doors down? She needed a babysitter for a few hours and asked me.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” He smiled at her. When he was a kid, he would watch the expressions of everyone who met her for the first time, wondering how they would react to meeting the world’s best mom, the world’s only mom,  _ his _ mom. He still felt that way sometimes, wondering how people got along with any other mom. He liked Sophie, though, and hoped she didn’t pale too much in comparison. 

“Can we color, Ms. Penny? I got a coloring book and a 24-pack of crayons.”

“24? Wow!” Penny crouched down beside her and helped get the crayons out of her backpack. “Which is your favorite color?”

“Blue teal. It’s like turquoise, but prettier.”

“This one?” Penny unerringly held up the correct crayon. 

“Yes!” Gigi grabbed it. “I’m gonna make Cinderella’s dress this color!”

“That’s a great idea. Is there anything I can help color in?”

“Umm, maybe the-- _ oh _ !” There was a knock on the door, and Arthur opened it up. 

“Hi, again”. Tired, but radiant, there she was.

“Hi” he stepped out of the doorframe. “Um, Gigi’s right in here.”

“Thanks, Arthur. Hi, baby!” 

Gigi turned toward her, then back to the coloring book. Sophie rolled her eyes at Arthur. “She punishes me like that sometimes.”

Penny stood up and walked over to the two of them. 

“Can I get you some tea, sweetie? You must be freezing. Nothing like tea to warm you up!”

“Oh, that’s so sweet, Mrs. Fleck, but I’m good. What do I owe you?” She reached for her purse.

“Not a thing, sweetie”

“What? No, Mrs. Fleck, please!”

“No, not another word. I raised Arthur on my own, and I don’t know what I would have done without my friends who helped look after him. You keep your money, okay honey?”

Sophie beamed. “Thank you, Mrs. Fleck. Anything I can do for you, you let me know.”

Suddenly, there was a yell from the couch, “Mama, Mama can we go home now? I left Mr. Kitten!”

“I thought you didn’t need Mr. Kitten.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Oh, okay.” She turned to Arthur and Penny. “Sorry, but we should go. Thank you again. So much.” She scooped up Gigi in her arms and they walked back to their unit.

“She’s lovely,” Penny said as she started tidying up. 

“Sophie or Gigi?”

“Well, both, but I meant Sophie. Oh, dear! Gigi left Teal Blue. It’s her favorite.”

“Turquoise but prettier.”

“Exactly. Honey” she pressed the crayon in his hand “I have to make dinner, could you give this back to them?”

“Yeah, of course.” He took the crayon and walked down the hall. Before he could become too embarrassed, he knocked on Sophie’s door. 

“I believe this is yours.” He held out the crayon with a flourish. 

“Oh, thank you!” She beamed and took it from him. “Hey, Gigi, you forget something?”

“No, I--oh, Mama!” She saw Teal Blue in Sophie’s outstretched hand. Sophie ruffled her hair before she dashed back to the couch, cuddling a toy cat. 

“Hey” she turned back to Arthur “can you come in a sec?”

“Yeah, of course” He stepped inside. 

He couldn’t believe it; it was inside her apartment. Inside  _ her _ apartment. With her pictures, her decorations, everything.

“Listen, your mom was so nice, I’d like to get her something. Is there, I don’t know, a special bath salt she likes? Does she like tea?”

“Umm, let’s see” he paused, then it came to him. “Do you know Feli’s, the coffee place?”

“Ooh, fancy!”

“Yeah, Mom used to work there, and this one tea was her favorite. She’d always smuggle some home when she could. What was it called?” He bit his lip trying to remember, then laughed. “Jesus, it was called Oriental Delight.”

“Oh, wow” Sophie laughed. “I wonder if they’ve changed the name.”

“They might not have; it was a cult tea.”

“Well, listen, Arthur, maybe we can go together on Saturday? Gigi’s got a playdate.”

“With  _ Carly _ !”

“Yes, with Carly, and I’m free all day.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, yeah, yes. I’d love to.”

“Perfect. Let’s try to find ourselves some Oriental Delight!” she winked.

He had been worried that there wouldn’t be enough to talk about, that they would walk to Feli’s in silence, but Sophie had no problem carrying the conversation. She kept it light, she kept it easy. They talked about the weather, their jobs, tea versus coffee, things anyone could talk about, but when she talked about them, and asked him about them, they became the most fascinating topics in the world. She acted as though she had never thought to talk about them with anyone else before, as though  _ no one _ had thought to talk about them before.

There was a short line in front of the cafe, but they were able to make it to a booth. They scanned the menu, and it was Sophie who found it first.

“There it is! Oriental Delight!” When she realized how loud she’d been, she bent her head and giggled. “Sorry about that, I’m just glad they have it.”

Sophie ordered one cup for each of them, and a big tin of loose leaf for Penny. 

“Well, cheers” They clicked their teacups together, and both took a sip.

“Wow” she breathed. “Racism aside, this is really good.”

“Yeah”. He tried to fight back the memories the smell brought back. He’d not realized how many memories he had of that time of his life.

“So, where’s your dad? If you don’t mind my asking.” It was as though she had read his mind. 

He sighed. “I don’t remember him at all. Mom won’t tell me anything about him. I had some short-term stepfathers, but now it’s just us. What about you? I mean Gigi’s dad?”

“Oh” she laughed. “It was college. I was a scholarship kid, and I didn’t want to be. So, I watched the rich kids and was able to fit in with them after a while. Then, I started fooling around with the preppiest, richest asshole on campus, and...Gigi happened. I never told him, I never wanted to have to ask him for anything. Those awful graduation gowns served one purpose, at least.”

“Jeez, I’m really sorry,”

She shook her head. “Don’t be. Gigi’s...Gigi’s everything to me.”

“And what about your parents, they can’t help you?”

“No, even if they could, they aren’t too happy with me. I mean, if they could just  _ meet _ Gigi, I’m sure.... But it doesn’t matter. We’re getting by with my job, I don’t owe anybody anything, and hey, now I’m friends with a celebrity and can enjoy some sweet, sweet Oriental Delight.”

“Well, there you go” He wasn’t quite sure what to say. “And you’ve got a babysitter now. Mom’s crazy about Gigi.”

“You guys” her voice trailed off, and he saw tears beginning to form in her eyes. “You guys are the best.” She reached out and took his hands in hers. They stayed that way until long after the tea became cold.


End file.
